The CSO Working Group on Elections and Human Rights has fulfilled its electoral mandate by submitting its Activity and Observation reports to the ECSL (Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone). The purpose of this submission is to provide an update on the group's work before, during, and after the June 2023 multi-tier elections in Sierra Leone. The event took place on July 10, 2023, at the ECSL headquarters in Freetown, and was attended by various members of the CSO Working Group on Elections and Human Rights.
During the submission of the reports to Mr. Albert Massaquoi, the Director of Media, Communications, and External Relations, Rashid Dumbuya Esq, the National Coordinator of the CSO Working Group, expressed gratitude to the ECSL for their support through the ECOWAS fund. This support aimed to educate the people of Sierra Leone on the proportional representation (PR) system and the electioneering process. Despite receiving a minimal amount, Rashid highlighted that the CSO Working Group went beyond their capacity to reach out to vulnerable communities and raise awareness about the PR system and the voting process.
Rashid emphasized the importance of ECSL carefully considering the findings and recommendations in the Election Observation report. He stressed that such considerations would contribute to legal and regulatory reforms related to the electioneering process.
Upon receiving the reports on behalf of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, Mr. Albert Massaquoi expressed gratitude to the CSO Working Group for their unwavering efforts in complementing the Commission's work. He assured them that the Commission would review the findings and recommendations in the report and, where feasible, provide advice on legal and regulatory reforms concerning the electioneering process. He urged the Working Group to continue collaborating with the ECSL, aiming to enhance the Commission's efforts in conducting free, fair, and credible elections in Sierra Leone.
It should be noted that on January 30, 2023, the CSO Working Group was tasked with public education and sensitization on the PR system and the electioneering process. They were also responsible for observing the June 2023 multi-tier elections in Sierra Leone. At the time of submitting these reports to the ECSL, the Working Group consisted of approximately 25 independent Civil Society Organizations.
The objectives of the Working Group include:
- Monitoring and ensuring free, fair, transparent, and credible elections in Sierra Leone.
- Raising awareness and sensitization on elections and electoral processes in Sierra Leone.
- Advocating for increased support to the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone and other Elections Management Bodies.
- Engaging in observation, report writing, and documentation of findings on elections and human rights in Sierra Leone.
- Making strong recommendations to the government, international partners, and other stakeholders for legal, institutional, and policy reforms regarding elections management in Sierra Leone.
The motto of the Civil Society Working Group is "Guarding Peace & Democracy through Free, Fair, and Credible Elections."
For the record, the CSO Working Group received minimal funding of Le 60,000,000 (old notes) from ECSL through the ECOWAS Fund to support voter education and sensitization on the PR system and the electioneering process in Sierra Leone. Additionally, the Working Group received support from the LEGAL LINK Organization and a few members of the Consortium to facilitate the implementation of its activities and election observation.
Some key activities undertaken by the CSO Working Group before, during, and after the elections include:
- Voter education seminars and training for university students in Sierra Leone.
- Stakeholders training on the PR system.
- Development of jingles, animations, and infographics about the PR system and the voting process.
- Engagement with the media for sensitization purposes.
- Community outreach, sensitization, and non-violence campaigns on the eve of the elections and during the elections.
- Election observation on polling day.
- Media engagement regarding non-violence and reprisal attacks against political party supporters after the elections.
In conclusion, the Civil Society Working Group on Elections and Human Rights expresses profound thanks and appreciation to the government of Sierra Leone, ECSL, election management bodies, the Sierra Leone Police, political parties, civil society organizations, the media, and the entire electorate of Sierra Leone for ensuring a peaceful and non-violent 2023 multi-tier elections.
In summary, although the June 2023 multi-tier elections were conducted in a relatively peaceful and calm environment, the Working Group expresses disappointment in the lack of transparency exhibited by ECSL during the counting, tallying, and computation phase of the electioneering process. The Working Group hopes that ECSL will accept the recommendations outlined in the observation report in good faith, leading to improvements in the conduct of public elections in Sierra Leone going forward.